Cold water corals of Maine

Camden — Marine biologist Rhian Waller will lead a presentation on the cold water corals of the Gulf of Maine at Merryspring Nature Center Tuesday, April 29, at noon.

Though many think of warm, tropical waters when it comes to coral reefs, there are in reality thousands of species that thrive in cold water. Waller will speak about the nearly 50 species that live in the Gulf of Maine. Just like their shallow-water counterparts, these corals host thousands of associated species, creating dense, lush forests in the deep sea. She will also address the risks these slow-growing corals face from damaging impacts such as deep-sea trawling, oil and mineral exploration, and climate change.

Waller gained her doctorate at the Southampton Oceanography Center in the United Kingdom and moved from there to the United States on a postdoctoral fellowship at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. She then held a faculty position at the University of Hawaii, and in 2011 she moved to the Darling Marine Centerat the University of Maine.

This talk is part of the Spring Lecture Series at Merryspring, sponsored by The First. Admission to Tuesday Talks is free for Merryspring members, with a $5 fee for non-members.